Drive-in banking system



Jan. 17, 167 J. F. CARSON 3,293,632

DRIVE-IN BANKING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 3, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "I'll,

Jan. 17, 1967 J. F. cARsN 3,298,632

DRIVE- IN BANKING SYSTEM Filed Nov. 3, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7k INVENTOR 0 Q MJZ W'M ym A TTOR/UEYS United States Patent "(9 3,298,632 DRIVE-[N BANKING SYSTEM John F. Carson, Oak Lawn, Ill., assignor to Midwest Bank Builders, Inc., Evergreen Park, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 3, 1965, Ser. No. 506,243 4 Claims. 2 (Cl. 243-19) This invention relates to a service apparatus, and more particularly to a drive-in or walk-up service apparatus for use in banking or the like.

Service apparatus are'provided for banks, motels, etc. to enable transaction of business between a customer at a remote station such as in a parked car. Apparatus of this type include a customers unit located outside the business 'ofiice, an attendants station located inside, and a conveying system for transferring articles between the two stations. This invention has as its purpose to provide for an apparatus of the described character improved means for facilitating the transfer of articles to and from the customers station.

The invention is described herein below with specific reference to a drive-in service for use in banking, but it should be understood that the invention is applicable alsojto other businesses such as motels and to a walk-up service.

Reference is now had to the following detailed specification and preferred embodiment thereof, and to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the customers station in a drive-in apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the customers station;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view showing the relationship of the customers station to the attendants station; and

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view showing a customer at the station in an automobile.

FIGURE 5 is a plan sectional view on line 55 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate the same parts throughout, there is shown a drive-in service apparatus adaptable for transacting banking business. The apparatus 10 includes an attendants or tellers station 12 having counter 14 located within the bank building 16. The customers station 18 is positioned outside the bank building remote from the attendants station 12, such as at curb 20 for use by the customer in the parked automobile 22 as shown in FIGURE 4. A pneumatic conveyor tube 23 extends between the customers station 18 and the attendants station 12, and a power unit 24 positioned in the bank building produces air flow for the pneumatic tube via power tube 25.

According to the present invention, the customers station 18 is provided with a suitable housing or cabinet 26, desirably made of metal, such as A" aluminum, supported by a suitable hollow pedestal 28 positioned on a concrete grade 30. The cabinet 26 is secured by a door 32 which is hingedly mounted at 34. Door 32 is shown in the open position in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, and is supported by flange 36 protruding from pedestal 28, and may be padlocked or otherwise secured in the open and closed positions. A light 38 is provided in sofiit 40.

Pneumatic conveyor tube 23 is adaptable for conveying carrier 42 between the customers station 18 and the attendants station 12. The carrier 42 comprises a hollow body 44 of generally circular cross section suitable for carrying articles such as bank slips and money, and is provided with felt heads 46. Felt heads 46 are of a di- 3,298,632 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 ice mension to form an air-tight seal with the walls of the conveyor tube.

Pneumatic conveyor tube 23 extends Vertically downward from the customers station 18 through the cabinet 26 and pedestal 28, and then leads to the attendants station 12. There is provided integral with the pneumatic conveyor tube a carrier return 48 and carrier receiver 50. Sidewall 52 of the pneumatic conveyor tube is tapered outwardly to provide an enlarged section of said tube and is opened at 54 to receive the carrier thereby providing carrier return 48. Opening 54 is provided at the corners with transition wedges to provide for a smooth contour so that the carrier cannot become jammed in a corner. At the customers station, pneumatic conveyor tube 23 is provided with an arcuate terminus comprising annular channel 56 opened inwardlyand extending from opening 54. Annular channel 56 is adaptable to receive the carrier 42, and the outwardly disposed sidewall of the channel is cut away to form carrier receiver 50 to provide access to the carrier. The arcuate terminus 52 preferably extends for substantially 360 to permit the carrier to lay in a horizontal position as shown in FIGURE 2, and the vertical section of the pneumatic conveyor tube is substantially tangential with the arcuate terminus to avoid any juncture or corner in the tubular conveyor. Side wall 52 provides suitable stop means to arrest further translation of the carrier so as to position the carrier at the carrier receiver 50.

In transacting business, it is necessary to provide communication means between the attendant and customer stations. Two-way visual communication is established by means of a closed-circuit television system comprising conventional components and the required electrical connections. For example, television camera 60 focused on the customer and television picture tube 62 disposed to be viewed by the customer are provided at the customers station. Television camera 60 is arranged within the annular channel 56, thereby locating within a relatively small area immediately before the customer, the television monitor adjacent the carrier return and the carrier receiver. Similar components are provided at the attendants station. When desired, television camera 60 may be disposed on shelves 63, as may other auxiliary equipment such as a fan and heater. In addition, twoway oral communication between the customer and bank teller is provided by means of a conventional electronic audio system comprising a microphone and speaker 64 at the stations. Tempered glass 65 protects the communication equipment.

In operation, the customer removes the carrier 42 from the carrier receiver 50, inserts the desired articles therein, and drops the carrier into the carrier return 48. The carrier is conveyed by the pneumatic conveyor tube 23 between the two stations, and when it is desired to move the carrier from the customers station to the attendants station, the power unit 24 is operated by the bank teller to produce air flow through the conveyor tube to transport the carrier to the teller. When it is desired to return the carrier to the customers station, the power unit is reversed and the carrier is transported via the conveyor tube. As the carrier exits from opening 54, the air flow it terminated and the carrier continues to travel in annular channel 56 and is retained therein by reason of centrifugal force. The carrier comes to rest at the carrier receiver 50.

What is claimed is:

1. A service apparatus comprising an attendants station, a customers station remote from said attendants station, communication means between said stations, a pneumatic conveyor tube extending between terminals at said attendants station and at said customers station and including a vertical section extending downwardly through said customers station and to said attendants station, an annular channel having sidewalls and opened inwardly disposed in said customers station extending from said vertical section and communicating therewith, a carrier slideably situated in said conveyor tube and said annular channel for transporting between said stations, said vertical section having an outwardly tapered sidewall to form an enlarged cross-section to said conveyor tube adaptable to receive said carrier, said annular channel terminating at said sidewall to provide stop means for said carrier whereby said carrier will be in a substantially horizontal position, an opening in the outwardly disposed sidewall of said channel section near said stop means sufficient to permit access to said carrier, and air-propelling means for producing air flow through said conveyor tube alternatively in opposed directions to transport said carrier.

2. Service apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said communications means includes a television monitor disposed within said annular channel thereby being viewable to the-customer at said customers station.

31 An apparatus for conveying articles, said apparatus comprising:

va first station;

: a second station spaced from said first station;

a pneumatic conveyor tube means connecting said first and second stations, said tube means adapted for conveying a carrier through said tube means;

an outlet extending from said tube means at least at said first station, said. outlet comprising:

an open tubular-shaped section, said section having a vertical arcuate terminus extending for substantially 360 and terminating at a substantially horizontal position and contiguous to said tubular-shaped section whereby a carrier will be conveyed through said tube means and outlet and come to rest in a substantially horizontal position abutting said tubular-shaped section.

4. An apparatus for conveying article s, said apparatus comprising:

a first station;

a second station spaced from said first station;

a pneumatic tube means connecting said first and second stations for conveying a carrier through said tube means;

an outlet member having two ends, one of said ends joined to said tube means; said member near said end joined to said tube means being tapered outwardly for a small portion along said member to a diameter larger than the diameter of a carrier adapted to be conveyed in said tube means;

the remaining portion of said member being opened and formed in an arcuate terminus for substantially 360 such that said member terminates in a substantially horizontal position with said remaining end abutting said tapered portion;

whereby a carrier conveyed, through said tube means and outlet member will come to rest against said tapered portion in a substantially horizontal posi- EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

3. AN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING ARTICLES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A FIRST STATION; A SECOND STATION SPACED FROM SAID FIRST STATION; A PNEUMATIC CONVEYOR TUBE MEANS CONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND STATIONS, SAID TUBE MEANS ADAPTED FOR CONVEYING A CARRIER THROUGH SAID TUBE MEANS; AN OUTLET EXTENDING FROM SAID TUBE MEANS AT LEAST AT SAID FIRST STATION, SAID OUTLET COMPRISING: AN OPEN TUBULAR-SHAPED SECTION, SAID SECTION HAVING A VERTICAL ARCUATE TERMINUS EXTENDING FOR SUBSTANTIALLY 360* AND TERMINATING AT A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION AND CONTIGUOUS TO SAID TUBULAR-SHAPED SECTION WHEREBY A CARRIER WILL BE CONVEYED THROUGH SAID TUBE MEANS AND OUTLET AND COME TO REST IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION ABUTTING SAID TUBULAR-SHAPED SECTION. 